Device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking



May 15, 1962 w. c.

DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE ABSTINENCE FUERSTE OF CIGARETTE SMOKING Filed June lO. 1960 wif .pira/iwf A 3,034,639 DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE ABSTINENCE F CIGARETTE SMOKING William C. Fuerste, 1360 S. Grandview Ave., Dubuque, Iowa Filed June 10, 1960, Ser. No. 35,273 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-41) My invention relates to the general art of cigarette smoking and more particularly to a device to implement and to assist one who desires to quit the smoking habit.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking which will enable the newly abstaining smoker to take advantage of all of the psychological factors which normally would assist his goal of ending the smoking habit.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking which will remove the panic commonly experienced by newly abstaining smokers but which will still make the cigarette inaccessible to a degree.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking which will enable the newly abstaining smoker to accurately record the period that he has abstained from smoking.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking which is economical of manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combinatiomof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view'of my device which shows the cigarette capsule in section and which also shows a front elevation of my counting mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through my counting mechanism as taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FiG. 3 is a rear elevational View of my counting mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view through my counting mechanism as taken on line 4--4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view through the cap member of my cigarette capsule as viewed on line 5 5 in FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the dial element of my counting mechanism as viewed on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FlG. 7 is a bottom plan View of the cap element on my capsule device as viewed on line 7--7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of my cigarette capsule which is taken at right angles to the view of my cigarette capsule as shown in FIG. l.

l have used the numeral 10 to designate my cigarette capsule which assumes the general shape of an elongated cylinder with a closed bottom end 12. Capsule 10 has an elongated interior bore 14 which extends along the longitudinal axis of the capsule. \A threaded shoulder 16 appears on the upper end of capsule 10 and as is clearly shown in FIGS. l and 8, shoulder 16 has a diameter less than that of the lower end of the capsule. A finger 18 of any convenient spring-like material is secured in a vertical position to the inside of capsule 10 and protrudes upwardly above the threaded shoulder 16. A pin 20 having a rounded head portion can be secured to the upper 3,4344@ Patented May l5, 1962 end of finger 18 in any convenient fashion and as shown in FIG. l, the head portion thereof appears on the outward side of the finger.

A cap element 22 is closed at its upper end 24 and has an interior bore 26 along its longitudinal axis. The lower end of bore 26 is threaded and is adapted to threadably receive the shoulder 16 of capsule 10. A vertical slot 2S is formed within bore 26 as shown in FIG. l. Slot 28 is arcuate in cross section as shown in FIG. 7 and is adapted to receive the rounded head portion of pin 20 on finger 18 at times as will be described hereafter.

An ear element 30 extends upwardly from the upper end 24 of cap element 22 and a suitable aperture 32 is located therein. Counting mechanism 34 has an aperture 36 in its base portion 38 and aperture 36 is similar in size to the aperture 32 in ear element 30. A conventional continuous ball and link chain element 40 extends through the apertures 32 and 36 to connect the cigarette capsule and the counting mechanism. A circular recess 42 appears in the center portion of the base 38 of the counting mechanism 34 and a circular dial 44 is adapted to be received within recess 42 for rotational movement. A rivet 46 rigidly extends from the center of recess 42 and is received through a suitable aperture in the center of dial 44. The conventional head on rivet 46 keeps the dial 44 within recess 42 but is of suicient length that the dial 44 is permitted a small degree of displacement from the recess at times. As shown in FIGS. 2` and 6, a plurality of circular concave indentations 48 are disposed in a circle on the back of dial 44. A pin S0 with a rounded head protrudes from the bottom of recess 42 and is adapted to be received within one of the indentations 48 at times. The looseness or play allotted the dial 44 by rivet 46 permits the pin '50 to be received in different indentations 48 whenever rotational movement of the dial 44 about the rivet 46 is forcibly induced. The two pins 52 protruding out of the face of the dial can be used to manually induce rotational movement to the dial at times. As shown in FIG. 1, the portion of base 38 surrounding the recess 42 can be divided into twelve equal increments by suitable indicia marks with the topmost mark 54 being identied with both the numerals "0 and 12. The succeeding indicia marks on base portion 38 can be numbered 1 through 11 by proceeding in a clockwise fashion around the perimeter of the recess 42. As

. also shown in FIG. l, the periphery of dial 44 can be divided into thirty equal increments by appropriate indicia marks and these indicia marks can be labeled in a clockwise fashion with the numerals 0i thru 29. The topmost mark 56 which bears the numeral 0 will serve as the point of beginning and also as the thirtieth day of the month as will be seen hereafter.

The normal operation of my device is as follows: The newly'abstaining smoker can remove the cap element 22 from the cigarette capsule 10 and place his last cigarette Within the bore 14 of the capsule. The cap element 22 is then threadably replaced upon the capsule 10. In conventional fashion, the newly abstaining smoker can forcibly exert pressure on the pins 52 to rotate dial 44 so that the indicia mark 56 is aligned with the indicia mark S4 on the top portion of the base 38 of the counting mechanism 34. The dial 44 will be yieldably held in this position as pin 50 engages one of the concave indentations 48 in the back of the dial.

The newly abstaining smoker can then carry my device with him as the battle against the tobacco habit commences. He will avoid any feeling of panic normally resulting from not having a cigarette available because enclosed in the cigarette capsule is his last cigarette. If the urge to see or smell or even smoke the cigarette becomes too great, he can gain access to the cigarette only by removing the cap element 22 from the cigarette capsule 10. The cap element 22 may turn easily for the first revolution as it is being threadably removed from the shoulder 16 of the capsule, but as soon as the pin 20 becomes aligned with the vertical slot 28 in the cap element 22, the pin will move into the slot and yieldingly resist further rotation of the cap element With respect to the capsule. This temporary resistance in the removal of the cap element from the cigarette capsule will give the newly abstaining smoker an opportunity to reflect on his pledge to refrain from smoking. Furthermore, if he continues the removal of the cap element from the capsule by exerting a greater rotational force on the cap element to separate the pin 20 from the vertical slot 28, he will again be faced with this temporary resistance in the removal of the cap upon each revolution thereof because upon each revolution of the cap with respect to the capsule, the pin 20 will re-engage the vertical slot 28. In addition to the psychological effect provided by the resistance to the cap removal provided by thc finger 18 and pin 20, the finger and pin also prevent the inadvertent removal of the cap by the counting mechanism as the unit is carried about from place to place.

After the newly abstaining smoker has refrained from smoking for a period of one day, he can rotate the dial 44 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, so that the indicia mark l on the periphery of the dial is aligned with the indicia mark on base 38 at the periphery of recess 42. As each day of non-smoking continues, the dial 44 can be rotated one more increment so that the abstaining smoker will readily and conveniently know how many days he has gone Without smoking. After he has abstained for a period of thirty days, he can then begin to align the indicia marks on the dial with the indicia mark l on the base 38 at the periphery of recess 42. Thus, for example, when the indicia mark 4. on dial 44 appears adjacent the indicia mark ,1 on the base portion, the abstaining smoker will lknow that he has not smoked a cigarette for a period of one month and four days. The counting mechanism is essential to the cigarette capsule because the abstaining smoker cannot remove the lid of the capsule without observing the counting mechanism. Thus, if he is tempted to rcmove the lid .of the capsule to gain access to the cigarette, he is at once reminded by the counting mechanism that he has not smoked a cigarette for a given period of time and this small reminder is often enough inducement to convince the abstaining smoker that he should at least abstain for at least one more day. I have secured the counting mechanism to the cap element of the cigarette capsule to further ensure that attention to the counting mechanism will always be drawn whenever an effort'is made to remove the cap element. However, the mere attachment of the counting mechanism to any point on the cigarette capsule should ensure this result.

The elements of my device, except for the cigarette 48, can be made of metal, plastic or any other convenient material. However, I prefer that a material be used which will present an audible click Whenever the pin 20 on spring nger 18 falls into the vertical slot 28. These audible. clicks serve just as the temporary resistance to the removal of the cap, as afforded by finger 18 and slot 28, to further remind the non-smoker of his original pledges or to give him an opportunity to refiect on his pledge.

From the foregoing it is seen that my device will accomplish at least all of its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. -In a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking, an elongated rigid capsule having a single interior bore capable of receiving only a single cigarette, a cap element threadably removably secured to said capsule, and means on said capsule for engaging said cap element to yieldably resist the removal of said cap element from said capsule.

2. In a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking, an elongated rigid capsule having a single interior bore capable of receiving only a single cigarette, a cap element rotatably removably secured to said capsule, and means on said capsule for engaging and creating an audible sound whenever said cap element is acted upon for removal from said capsule.

3. In a device for implementing the abstinence of cigarette smoking, an elongated capsule having an interior bore capable of receiving at least a single cigarette, a cap element having an interior bore threadably and removably secured to said capsule, a spring finger secured to said capsule and normally extending into and forcibly bearing against the interior surface of said cap element, a slot in the interior surface of said cap element, said slot being adapted to receive at least a portion of said finger at times.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,473 Kintner Feb. 5, 1895 2,194,168 Klein Mar. 19, 1940 2,492,708 Orlin Dec. 27, 1949 2,537,598 Mason Jan. 9, 1951 2,596,374 Crapster May 13, 1952 2,649,753 Doyle Aug. 25, 1953 2,706,464 North Apr. 19, 1955 2,856,066 King Oct. 14, 1958 

